“I'm fine, father. Good morning,” Louis responded joylessly. Arthur noticed it, and grimaced. Then, Louis went straight to the point, “Have my brother, and brother-in-law left?”
“Yes son. The Patriarch sent them on their way with fifty combat soldiers.”
“Wow! That is a big one.”
“Yes. I was surprised at his benevolence.”
“I can understand. Was he at the airport?”
“He was. As early as 6 AM.”
“That is good. Is it appropriate to give him a call, and appreciate his kindness?”
“Certainly. He would be most pleased to hear from you.”
“It is all right. I will do that later.”
“That is well enough.”
“I got it. How is Mom?”
“Your mom is fine. She has gone to work.”
“It is all right. I will keep track of big brother's movements.”
“Thank you, for that. Have a productive day,”
“And you, too.”
At Arthur's Office
Nevertheless, Arthur was enlivened with the discussion he heard with Louis. The understanding that he loved his brother, no matter the trouble, was a source of encouragement.
“A bad son would have wished his brother dead, and claimed his brother's wife,” he mumbled, and looked at Tim who was busy with his assignment. Thereafter, his phone beeped, and it caught his attention. He looked out for the sender of the message, and beamed before he read through. (Good day, hubby. I hope you are not missing Denise so much. I miss him too, but we have to be strong for the children. With love from Nichole.)
Age, and parenting, had the responsibilities that come with them. Arthur and Nichole are living up to theirs. Then, Arthur replied at once. (I'm blessed to have you by my side. It would have been unbearable without you. I'm not missing him too much. I just spoke with Louis, and he promised to keep track of his movements. Bye.)
The messages brightened their day. Then, Arthur and Tim worked silently. To make the day an exciting one for Tim, he opted to take him out for lunch.
At the Government Hospital
Although, Freya was cheerful, but one could see her emptiness from her outlook.
“Good morning, mom, and Angel.”
“Good morning, Aunty Freya. How is Daniel?”
“He is fine. I just took him to school.”
“That's good. Welcome,”
“Welcome, Freya.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
“Your father said that our Patriarch sent your husband, and Denise, on their way with fifty combat soldiers,” Nichole informed graciously. Then, Freya cheered up at once, and commended, “That is nice of him. We will pay him a visit someday, and appreciate him.”
“That is a good idea,” her mother agreed.
At Nicholas' Office
Many people would have stopped Denise and Phil from embarking on such a mission if they had their ways. Prominent among them was Nicholas. He could not wait for him to disembark and hear from him. By their calculation, at 10 AM, he would have landed, so they waited anxiously. Meanwhile, the three-hour flight seemed like an eternity for him. To keep his body and soul together, he gave Arthur a call.
“Hello, Nicholas,” Arthur greeted.
“Hello, father. I am delighted to hear from you.”
“It is a pleasure to hear from you, too. How may I help you?”
“I called to ensure that there was no delay in Denise's flight.”
“Not at all. He left at 7 AM on the dot.”
“That is good to hear. I can't wait to hear from him.”
“We are all waiting.”
“Okay, father. Later.”
“Thank you for checking on me. Later,”
In Jalin, Zingcord Capital
When the driver was mute over his question, he concluded that his family must have died as a result of the war. Then, he decided to send a message to his family and inform them of his safe trip. To his delight, he had gotten several messages inquiring about his trip. Firstly, he sent to his family platform that he arrived safely and was heading to the government house. Thereafter, he replied to Mr. Field's and his wife's messages, and promised to give her a call when the occasion permitted. Instantly, he got another message from his wife.
(It is good to know that your trip was safe. I will always love you.)
He quickly replied.
(I will always love you.)
At that moment, the driver drove into the government house, and everyone got down. Now, an aid walked to them, and led them to Dr. Parker's office.
“Welcome to Zingcord,” the aid greeted, just like the driver, with a suppressed smile.
“Thank you,” they responded in unison.
“He must have a strong security system to have defended only his house from attack,” Denise thought while they walked on. Nevertheless, Murphy and others wore face masks, and walked on silently. Before they got to the office, they saw a handful of military men, who were not really on guard, but were just there as a camouflage.
“This way,” the aid announced and opened a door, and held it for them to walk in.
“Thank you,” Denise, who was masked too, responded on behalf of the team, and they filed into a well-furnished office, which depicted Dr. Parker's glamorous lifestyle. Likewise, some combat soldiers stood by the door with an unfriendly aura. Meanwhile, there was a remarkable difference between the office, and the devastated country. It was obvious that the government house, and its environ, did not experience the war, which had lasted for more than five years. Likewise, Dr. Parker and some council members, who were in good health like him, were seated leisurely in the office.
“Good morning, Dr. Parker. Good morning everyone,” Denise, who was the first to walk in, greeted.
“Good morning, Mr. Bailey. Welcome to Zingcord,” Dr. Parker responded cheerfully.
“Good morning. Welcome to Zingcord,” the council members greeted simultaneously.
“Thank you, Dr. Parker. Thank you, everyone. I will introduce my team members at the appropriate time,” Denise pointed out.
“It's all right. Kindly take your seats,” the Head of the Government said, and signaled them to the couches that were meant for them. The civilians took their seats, while the combat soldiers stood. Nevertheless, the soldiers have studied the Head of the Government, and ascertained his weakness. Furthermore, Phil had scanned the security system in the environment, and discovered that they were not at war at all. Even the security system at the Bailey Native Home, and the complex, was more than what they had.
“You are welcome, once again. What do I offer you? Tea or coffee?” Dr. Parker inquired.
“What! Tea or coffee in a war country?” Murphy thought with indignation. He felt stupid, and used for approving money into a wrong cause.
“None for now, Dr. Parker,” Denise dismissed him politely.
“It is all right,” he accepted. To make the atmosphere lively, he laughed softly, and teased, “I can see that you fear my country, and that explained why you came with a combat aircraft.”
His council members laughed happily, and the deputy Head of the Government, Prof. Anthony Livingstone, added, “It is not what you think, Young Man.”
“You are right, Dr. Parker. Especially with the bomb blast, just a few minutes after our discussion. One had to be careful,” Denise pointed out and looked at his team members for a confirmation, and they nodded.
“It is expected. Now that you are here, are you ready to seal our discussion?” Dr. Parker requested. Nevertheless, Denise smiled broadly, and assured him, “Certainly. That is why I am here.”
“That is good.” Dr. Parker accepted with delight.